Quick detachable hub



Jun; 5,1951 Q RE ER 2,556,151

QUICK DETACHABLE HUB Filed lay l, 1946 Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Morse Chain (30., Ithaca, N. Y., a

of New York corporation Application May 1, 1946, Serial No. 666,502

6 Claims. (Cl. 28752.06)

This invention relates generally to hubs and more particularly to a. detachable hub for joinmg a wheel to a shaft.

Where a variety of different sizes of sheave, pulley, sprocket or gear wheels are employed for power transmission and quick and easy interchangeability of wheels is desired, it is possible to provide such interchangeability for repair or other purposes by having a stock of detachable hubs which will cover the whole range of bore sizes of the wheels which are used. Hubs of this type are known in the art but are expensive to produce either by reason of the number of parts involved or because of difficult machining operations required. An additional disadvantage to those hubs which have a number of parts is that misplacement or loss of any one of the parts will frequently result in loss of time due to replacement of the part or to inability to use the hub.

It is an object of my invention, therefore, to provide a quick detachable hub which employs a minimum number of parts to effect a driving connection between a shaft and a wheel.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a quick detachable hub of such design that rapid production thereof is made possible by reason of the simplified machining operations which are required.

It is another object of my invention to provide simple means such as flanged cap screws which, when once secured to the wheel, serve to drive the hub into tight gripping engagement with the shaft and frictional engagement with the wheel when they are threaded in one direction and serve to force the hub out of gripping or frictional engagement with said shaft and wheel merely by being threaded in the opposite direction.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a quick detachable hub having means, such as the screws mentioned above, for connecting the hub to the wheel, which means when once connected to the wheel do not need to be removed from said wheel in order to easi1y release the hub completely from the wheel and shaft.

Other objects and advantages Of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following written description and the attached drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view showing the hub of my invention employed for connecting a shaft and wheel;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the plane of the line Z--Z Qf Fi d Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the hub itself.

Like reference numerals are employed to indicate like portions of the mechanism throughout the several views.

Referring now to the figures of the drawing, the reference numeral It) indicates generally the detachable hub which has a central longitudinal bore H interrupted by a longitudinal keyway l2 and which has a tapered external surface 13 interrupted by three longitudinal grooves l4 and a longitudinal keyway Ill. The hub I0 is longitudinally split as at it. A circumferential groove ll encircles the hub near one end 18 and intersects the grooves 14 and keyway 15 substantially at right angles. The hub Ill from groove IT to the end I8 has a uniform diameter except where interrupted by the grooves I4 and keyway It, i. e., there is no taper on the external surface at this portion of the hub.

As may be noted most readily in Figs. 1 and 2, hub Ill is interposed between a shaft 20 and a wheel indicated generally at 3|]. The shaft 20 may have a longitudinal keyway 2] in which may be positioned a key 22 when the keyway 2| of shaft 29 and the keyway l2 of the hub Ill are aligned with one another. As will be more fully appreciated hereinafter, it is not essential that a key be employed between the shaft 20 and the hub l0 but such use is optional in providing a driving connection between the hub and shaft. If desired it would of course be possible to have a splined connection or some other interengaging connection between hub Ill and shaft 20.

The member fragmentarily shown in the drawing and indicated generally at 30 may be a sprocket wheel which has a tapered bore 3| and 'a hub portion 32 having three holes 33 drilled therethrough and tapped to provide a cooperating thread for their respective cap screws 34. It will be noted that the tapered bore 3! has a surface which is complementary to the external tapered surface 13 of the hub it. There is a longitudinal keyway 35 interrupting bore 3| and this keyway, when aligned with keyway I5 in hub it, permits the introduction of a key 35 to provide an interengaging driving connection between the hub i0 and wheel 30. It will be understood, of course, that such use of a key 36 is optional due to the tight frictional engagement which is possible between the hub and wheel. However, in practice, I have found it desirable to employ 'a key such as key 36 between the hub l0 and wheel 30. Although memberfi!) has been described as a wheel such description is not to be taken in a limiting sense since member 3t could be any member which has a bore and which is to be connected with a shaft for rotation.

Each of the screws 34 has a threaded shank 49, a flange 4| and a cap 42 having a socket 43 therein which may be engaged, for example, by a hex or Allen wrench. It will be noted that the flanges 4| of the screws seat in the groove I of the hub, the width of the groove exceeding the width of the flange so that the flange 4| may have axial movement therein. As shown in Fig. ,2, the flanges 4| of the screws 34 bear against shoulder 45 which is formed in hub 10 by the groove I! to thereby limit movement of the hub l outwardly of the hub portion 32 of the wheel 30. It will be readily seen that the screws 34 may be unthreaded from the hubportion 32 of the wheel whereupon the flanges 4| will come :to bear upon shoulder 43 of the hub III to thereby force the hub outwardly from the wheel-33. The radius of curvature of the grooves l4 in hub l0 Jissubstantially the same as the radius of curva- *ture of the flanges 4| ;of screws 34 and the icircumferential spacing of the screws 34 and grooves |4 corresponds so that when the grooves 14 are ,aligned circumferentially with the flanges 4| it is possible for the screws to be completely unthreaded from the wheel 33. Alternatively, it is possible for the hub to be removed from the wheel past the screws without removing the screws from the wheel.

' From the foregoing description of its structure it will be readily seen that no difficult or unusual machining operations are necessary in producing theihub In or its related parts. Consequently hubs ofthis type may be inexpensively and rapidlymanufactured.

In connecting a wheel; such as wheel .30, with a shaft such as shaft 20, a hub having the proper external and internal diameters is selected and inserted by hand into the tapered bore 3| of the-wheel until friction prevents further insertion. Whether the screws 34 have ,flrst been :partially inserted into the tapped holes .33 of'the wheel 30 or are inserted subsequent to the insertion of the hub within the bore 3| of the wheeLit 'is necessary to align the grooves M of hub ill-with the holes 33 so that the hub and flange 4|" may have relative axial movement to position the groove I! of the hub l0 in'alignmen't with the flanges 4| of the screws 34. Usually the screws will be inserted subsequent to the insertionof the hub. Having once aligned the flanges 4| of screws 34 with the groove 11' of hub 10, said hub will be rotated in order to align its keyway |5- with keyway 35 of the wheel (in case a-k y' u h as .35 is to be employed between the huband wheel) and so that the flanges 4| will be cireumferentially spaced from the axially extending grooves 14, The screws 34 are then threaded into their respective holes 33 to cause the flanges 4| to bear against shoulder 45 to thereby force tapered hub it into the tapered bore 3| of the wheel. Generally the screws will bethreadedinwardly a short distance at a time one-after another around the circumference of the hubso as not to misalign the hub within the bore of the wheel. Since the bore 3| and external surface l3 are tapered at the sameangle andsince the hub is longitudinally split, inward mQVement 0.1 thev hub,icaused by the screws being threaded into holes 33, will contract the hub, in into tight gripping engagement with the shaft 20 to provide a frictional driving connection. If it isIdeSired to employ an interengaging driving connection between the hub Hi and shaft 12.0,, the

4 hub and wheel together may be rotated to align keyway l2 of hub In with keyway 2| of the shaft 20 so that a key 22 may be inserted therein.

It is of course possible in connecting wheel 30 with shaft 20, to have the wheel positioned about the shaft whereupon the hub l0 may be inserted over the shaft and partially within the wheel with the grooves M of said hub being aligned with the holes 33 in the wheel 3|]. Screws 34 may then be readily threaded into the holes 33 until the flanges 4| of said screws pass along the grooves 4 to the circumferential groove whereupon the hub is rotated with respect to the wheel so that the flanges 4| are positioned in groove ll' at some point intermediate the grooves l4. If a key 33 is employed between the hub l0 and wheel "30 the hub and wheel will be relatively rotated until their respective keyways I5 and 35 match at which time the key 33 may be inserted therein. The screws 34 will then be tightened in sequence around the circumference of the hub so that said hub will be driven inwardly of the wheel and into tight gripping engagement with the shaft by reason of the contraction of the longitudinally split hub as it is wedged in the tapered bore 3| .of the wheel 3!].

To disconnect the wheel 3t and shaft 29 it is only necessary to threadthe screws 34 outxwardly from the wheel 3e so that the flanges 4| of the screws 34 engage the shoulder 46 formed in hub It by the groove l7. Further outward movement of the screws will then force the hub outwardly of the wheel and out of gripping engagement with the shaft 2@ whereupon the hub may be rotated to bring the grooves i ll into alignment with the screws 34 to permit complete withdrawal of the hub by hand without removing the screws from the wheel. If a diiferent hub having a differentinternal diameter is to be inserted into the wheel next, there is no danger of the screws :34 being misplaced or lost during such replacement since they remain threaded in the wheel 30. V

While I have shown one preferred embodiment oiiny invention I do not intend to be limited to this form since various changes and modiiica tio'ns may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a member having a bore therethrough, in combination, a detachable hub-like element for the bore of said member and providing a pair of spaced abutments, said hub-like element having a groove leading from an end of the element to a position between said abutments, means secured in said member and providing an abutment which is adjustable toward and away when moved away from said member driving the element outwardly of the bore of the member and when moved toward said member driving said element into said bore of the member. 7

2. In a rotatable member having a bore, in combination, a detachable hub for said member providing a pair of spaced abutments, said hub having a groove leading from an end of the hub to a position between said abutments, means secured insaid wheel and providing an abutment which is adjustable toward and away from said member and is positioned between the pairof abutments, said adjustable abutment when moved away from said member driving the hub outwardly of the b re f. saidmember and when moved toward said member driving said hub into the bore of said member, said hub being releasable from said adjustable abutment by reason of said groove after said hub has been moved outwardly of said member by said adjustable abutment.

3. In a wheel having an axial bore, in com bination, a detachable hub for said wheel providing a pair of spaced abutments, said hub having a groove leading from an end of the hub to a position between said abutments, means secured in said wheel and providing an abutment which is adjustable toward and away from said wheel, said adjustable abutment being permitted by passage through said groove to be positioned between said pair of abutments when an end of said hub is introduced into the bore of said. wheel.

4:. In a wheel having an axial bore, in com bination, a detachable hub for said wheel providing a pair of spaced abutments, said hub having a groove leading from an end of the hub to a position between said abutments, means secured in said wheel and providing an abutment which is adjustable toward and away from said wheel and is positioned between said pair of abutmerits, said hub being drivable into frictional engagement within the bore of said wheel. by adjustment of said second mentioned abutment toward the wheel and against one of the abutments of said pair of abutments.

5. In a wheel having an axial bore, in com bination, a detachable hub for said wheel providing pairs of axially spaced abutments, said hub having a groove for each of said pairs of abutments leading from a position between a pair of abutments to one end of said hub, a plurality of means secured in said wheel and each providing an abutment which is adjustable toward and away from said wheel and is positioned between a pair of abutments, said adjustable abutments when moved away from said wheel driving the hub outwardly of the bore of said wheel and when moved toward said wheel driving said hub into the bore of said wheel, said hub being releasable from said adjustable abutments by reason of said grooves after said hub has been moved outwardly of said wheel by said adjustable abutments.

6. For use in connecting a wheel with a shaft which extends therethrough, the combination of a hub adapted to fit within said wheel and about said shaft, means on said hub providing a pair of shoulders, adjustable means carried by said wheel and having a flange adapted to fit between said shoulders whereby said latter means when moved in one direction providing a force exerted on the end of the hub in the direction of the wheel while holding the wheel stationary, thereby to position said hub within said wheel and in engagement with said shaft by bearing against one shoulder and when moved in the opposite direction providing a force exerted on the end of the hub in a direction away from the wheel, thereby moving said hub outwardly of said wheel and out of engagement with said shaft by bearing against the other shoulder, and means adapted to interconnect said wheel and hub to prevent relative rotation therebetween.

NORMAN C. BREMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 123 i13 Newell Feb. 6, 1872 1,158,463 Eaton Nov. 2, 1915 2,396,414 Firth Mar. 12, 1946 2,415,033 Nygren Jan. 28, 1947 2,441,467 Browning May 11, 1948 

